Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Song For Iran: From The Rooftops

This is a song I wrote inspired by the uprising in Iran. Some images are ours, some borrowed. The background loop - "Allah O Akbar" (God is great)- is chanted after dark from the rooftops of Tehran & other Iranian cities...

From The RooftopsBy David Kootnikoff

On the rooftop a bird is building her nestIt’s springtime tonight in this city of unrestWhile the bird keeps on working for some future prizeThe harder she fails, the harder she tries

When the stars come out people rise from belowAnd their voices ring out as the dark shadows growThey cry out for god in the heat of the nightThey cry for each other, for comfort and light

From the rooftops you can hear their hearts in their songBeat back the night until all fear is goneWhile the dark pushes in like the blade of a knifeBut the wound that it leaves only bleeds life

In the morning the bird rises up with the dawnTo continue her work, to sing out her songAnd the people wake up to the beating of wingsTo gather together ‘neath the shelter she brings

On the rooftop a bird is building her nestIt’s springtime tonight in this city of unrestWhile the bird keeps on working for some future prizeThe harder she fails, the harder she tries